The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc)

[chetak]

interesting that Iran is specifically adding India into the statement.

this is from 18 Apr, 2015

https://www.rt.com/news/250209-iran-coo ... -amd-nato/

Iran has announced its readiness to cooperate with Russia, China and India on the issue of NATO’s missile shield and related threats from the military bloc, the head of its defense ministry said in Moscow.
“I'd like to support the idea of developing multifaceted defense cooperation between China, Iran, India and Russia to counter NATO eastwards expansion and installing a missile shield in Europe,” Hossein Dehghan said on Thursday, at an international security conference in Moscow.

Hours later Dehghan was cited by RIA Novosti as saying that Russia, China and Iran may hold tri-party defense talks.

"We discussed certain aspects of regional security. It was proposed to hold a trilateral meeting of Russia, Iran and China," Dehghan said after meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.

we should stay cautious and keep our powder dry.

cheeni may try and rope us into something that we may not be able to fathom right away.

The cheeni are itching for a fight to strut their stuff and since they cannot jeopardize the Indian or the US market with their economy in such a delicate situation, so the only chance to showcase is the present imbroglio

[chetak]

^^ Thats because these countries are outside the NATO/CENTO block and have independent FP and likely wont join any Anglo-Saxon block.

We should provide Iran with ABM systems like PAD/AAD as part of def export but then Israel wont look at it kindly

we have no dog in this fight. our time will come and until then just keep your powder dry

[Austin]

Putin: Russia has no intention of mounting Syria ground operation, wants to see political compromise

Using ground troops in Syria is out of the question, the Russian president said in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV. Russia’s air operation has been thoroughly prepared and is aimed merely at aiding the Syrian Army’s offensive, he said.

“Whatever happens, we’re not going to do this [ground operation] and our Syrian friends are well aware of it,” President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.

The primary task of the Russian operation in Syria is “stabilizing the legitimate authority in this country and creating conditions to look for political compromise,” President Putin said.

The Russian leader specifically stressed that Moscow had notified the Western coalition when it began the operation in Syria.

“We advised beforehand our American partners and many other partners, particularly those in the [Syrian] region, about our intentions and our plans,” Putin said, specifically stressing that “never ever Russia was warned about similar operations being planned or launched.”

“Yet we did so. With good will, on considerations of practicability and to show our openness for cooperative work,” Putin said.

“I want to stress once again that we are acting in full compliance with international law, and at the request of the official authorities of Syria,” he added.

Moscow does not lose hope that other countries will join the Russian operation in Syria, Putin said, pointing out that at the moment Russia began its operation against Islamic State there were 11 countries already staging airstrikes on Syrian territory.

The Russian operation in Syria was not spontaneous and was preceded by detailed satellite and airborne surveillance, Putin said, noting that experts from the Russian Joint Staff in coordination with their Syrian partners and other countries in the region had created an information center in Baghdad to exchange reconnaissance data.


Commenting on the cruise missile strike conducted by the Russian Navy from the Caspian Sea against Islamic State positions in Syria being a surprise for US intelligence, Vladimir Putin said it’ wasn’t the time to throw brickbats at the American intelligence community.

“American intelligence is one of the most powerful in the world, yet it does not know everything – and should not for that matter,” Putin said. The Russian president also said he’s perplexed as to why the US refused to share with Russia intelligence on the whereabouts of Islamic State’s installations.

Russian military experts have already appealed to the Pentagon with proposals regarding the fight against terrorists in Syria, President Putin said.

"Some of Russia’s missile strike systems are outdated so extensive rearmament with high-tech precision weapons is on its way,” Vladimir Putin said, stressing that, if threatened, Russia would make use of its most sophisticated weapons to maintain national security.

However, he also added that “Russian foreign policy is truly peaceful, without any exaggeration.”

“If you take a look at the political world map and see what Russia is, it becomes evident that we don’t need neither foreign territories, nor natural resources. We’ve got everything in abundance. We’re a self-sufficient country,” President Putin told the TV anchor, adding that Russia seeks neither to wage war nor conflict in any country.

Russia has no intention of creating an empire or reconstructing of the Soviet Union, yet “we must defend our independence and sovereignty,” Putin stressed. “We’ve done it before, we are going to do it in future.”

[Austin]

whats cooking ?

Putin Holds Meeting With Saudi Arabia Defense Minister in Sochi

[Austin]

^^ Thats because these countries are outside the NATO/CENTO block and have independent FP and likely wont join any Anglo-Saxon block.

We should provide Iran with ABM systems like PAD/AAD as part of def export but then Israel wont look at it kindly

we have no dog in this fight. our time will come and until then just keep your powder dry

Its not about the current fight but the much bigger geo-political realignment.

If we want our economy to grow and want our rupee to be traded globally and become one of reserve currency then we will have to look for Rupee Payment against Energy , Iran and Iraq has surplus of energy and so does Russia, we need to cut deal with these countries to accept Rupee payment for energy purchase in return for exporting Defence Products , Training and having access to berthing facility , also proving these countries with Trained Manpower in non-defence areas where they truly lack.

GCC/Sunni are fully alligned with USD and wont make such deal with us.

In the end it about our interest to see our Rupee get Global Status along the line of Yuan , USD,Euro etc 10-15 years from now, its then we will be a force to reckon with in Economy and Strategically

Or we can just perputually wait for the right time as we have been waiting in indo-pak context and that wait is perpetual.

[Austin]

Video of Russian Airbase in Syria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jur488yKd6o

[chetak]

whats cooking ?

Putin Holds Meeting With Saudi Arabia Defense Minister in Sochi

the saudis tried to do putin in by buggering the price of oil and got caught in their own trap. They also seem to have attempted to coerce him by offering to control the chechen terrorists (??) and buy some ruski weapons so that putin would have spending cash for the ruski economy (ruski weapons because they want a second source and also because gross disillusionment with the amrekis seem to be setting in among the gelf monarchies who are totally terrified of eyran)

the saudis don't want syria's bashar al assad around and the ruskis are hell bent on keeping him. For the moment it looks like a dog's breakfast out there with only putin having clear objectives. The sheep in europe are as usual waiting for the amrekis to lead (and pay!!) having once already tangled with the ruskis in WWII and come off a very bad second best, they are NOT willing to piss off the ruski bear or putin for that matter as he is not the forgiving sort.

the saudis want to build a oil/gas pipeline through syria to europe and that undercuts putin and the ruskis very badly. europe is rusia's backyard and captive market for oil/gas and their impresive missile display is also to warn off potential candidates of the extreme disaster staring them in the face if the went ahead with such a pipeline.

what ever the menu for the meeting, you can be sure that the saudis will also be eating crow.

piddly saudis should get their long standing comeuppance. they have been punching far, far above their weight, for far too long, without the stomach or the legs to stand and fight

[chetak]

{quote="Austin"}^^ Thats because these countries are outside the NATO/CENTO block and have independent FP and likely wont join any Anglo-Saxon block.

We should provide Iran with ABM systems like PAD/AAD as part of def export but then Israel wont look at it kindly{/quote}

we have no dog in this fight. our time will come and until then just keep your powder dry

Its not about the current fight but the much bigger geo-political realignment.

If we want our economy to grow and want our rupee to be traded globally and become one of reserve currency then we will have to look for Rupee Payment against Energy , Iran and Iraq has surplus of energy and so does Russia, we need to cut deal with these countries to accept Rupee payment for energy purchase in return for exporting Defence Products , Training and having access to berthing facility , also proving these countries with Trained Manpower in non-defence areas where they truly lack.

GCC/Sunni are fully alligned with USD and wont make such deal with us.

In the end it about our interest to see our Rupee get Global Status along the line of Yuan , USD,Euro etc 10-15 years from now, its then we will be a force to reckon with in Economy and Strategically

Or we can just perputually wait for the right time as we have been waiting in indo-pak context and that wait is perpetual.

I commend you for such thoughts and may it happen just as you say.

but, seriously, it does not look likely in this lifetime.

one day, perhaps..........

[Austin]

I commend you for such thoughts and may it happen just as you say.

but, seriously, it does not look likely in this lifetime.

one day, perhaps..........

Ofcourse it will happen , India currency has to get reserve status in next 20 years and Indian Economy is to be a force to reckon with.

Look at britania , Perfect Basket Case Economy by any normal economic matrix , Certainly the UK pound does not
deserve to be no 3 traded currency and reserver currency but it is.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united- ... indicators

Even if they grow by 0.5 % its painted by Western MSM as thriving economy , thats been their case for many years now

Its high time our economy thats guranteed to grow atleast 6-7 % for 2 decades gets its fair share due and basket case economy surviving on just QE is shown its place.

No one will give us that status but we have to work hard and cut deal with country that matter and eventually use Rupee to trade for energy

[ramana]

Chetak, I agree India should keep out while keeping a waary eye.
Reason is there are many plots and sub-plots whicc our IFS/IAS has no clue and could lead us into situations due to hubris of drafting error. A good 20 years for the UPA selectees to retire.

[Satya_anveshi]

Obama's Bay of Pigs moment. My CT is US wiping out their signature for the risk of further exposure.

Eight senior figures from Islamic State were killed in an air strike while meeting in a town in western Iraq, but the group's reclusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi did not appear to be among them, residents of the town and hospital sources said. -Oct 11, 2015

[ramana]

It will all fall down if Russia captures one of the senior ISIS figures and interrogates them.

[Satya_anveshi]

It keeps cracking like diwali cracker any idea what weapon is that ?

That's a bunch of cluster fukc bombs?

[ldev]

fcourse it will happen , India currency has to get reserve status in next 20 years and , Perfect Basket Case Economy by any normal economic matrix , Certainly the UK pound does not
deserve to be no 3 traded currency and reserver currency but it is.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united- ... indicators

The US became the largest economy in the world in 1880. It took 45 years up until 1925 before US financial debt markets surpassed the sterling. These things do not happen overnight. The world has to have confidence that the rule of law will be there to protect their money when they put that money in your currency and it will not be expropriated. And that you have the military strength to protect that money. No mistake that Britain had the miltary strength until WW1 and the US has a potent military today. As a retail investor will your investment in China be safe today?

[deejay]

It keeps cracking like diwali cracker any idea what weapon is that ?

That's a bunch of cluster fukc bombs?

Looks more like MBRL attack to me. Together, concentrated and sustained. I have seen other videos of MBRL attacks and they appear similar.

[Satya_anveshi]

^^Yes, it is. Here is another example (Oct 08, 2015)

[RoyG]

Obama's Bay of Pigs moment. My CT is US wiping out their signature for the risk of further exposure.

Eight senior figures from Islamic State were killed in an air strike while meeting in a town in western Iraq, but the group's reclusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi did not appear to be among them, residents of the town and hospital sources said. -Oct 11, 2015

It's true. Why didn't they do it before? It's a two prong strategy.

1) Phase 1 - FSA post modern hippy islamists blast a hole through the fortress and weaken the military capacity and institutions of the state.

2) Phase 2 - Purists walk right in and have an easier time.

Now that these people are on the back foot the US doesn't want it's fingerprints exposed. I'm sure their are Spetnaz units working in tandem with the Quds to grab some of these folks before they get pulverized from above.

Ha, meanwhile the Israeli are going to be boxed in by the Shia. Imagine if Russia started parking S400/500 batteries on their borders. They could deny the IAF airspace domination, even over their own territory.

We may see Israel and Turkey come together and acting preemptively. They were banking on creating a sea of fire with islamist neanderthals which can only take on weak states. I don't think they saw the Russians, Chinese, and Iranians piggybacking on ISIS and filling the void.

[UlanBatori]

Al Bag-Daddy retires to the bar on Dictators' Boulevard in Los Angeles?
The sad part of any raid on Al-Bag-Daddy's convoy/harem is that most of the casualties will be the enslaved Yazidis etc.

[chetak]

Chetak, I agree India should keep out while keeping a waary eye.
Reason is there are many plots and sub-plots whicc our IFS/IAS has no clue and could lead us into situations due to hubris of drafting error. A good 20 years for the UPA selectees to retire.

many gelf countries ask for only muslim diplomats to posted to their country by other countries. This narrows the field tremendously and you tend to wind up with a sort of fatcat type of diplomat who has a narrow field of vision and tending to focus on haj/labor and its ramifications along with a lot of ring kissing of the local sultan / sheikh whatever.

There is a complex web of local, tribal, sunni, shia, familial connections due to intermarriages and the tremendous overarching presence of the saudi family, the king and the various competing royal princes mixed with the intrigues of the US oil interests, CIA, MI6, mossad, crime lords like dawood and just plain warlords and whatnot due to historical precedents and all these constantly changing relationships are rife with backstabbing, bribery, duplicity, double crossing and vile intrigue with everybody spying on everybody else.

It's like having a grenade with the pin out in your back pocket without knowing that the grenade is there.

The last guy we had self dedicated to the mid east, an ineffective chap like E ahamed who only had personal interests and occasionally his IUML interests will give you an idea for what generally passes for mid east diplomacy from India. Of course there will also be some sincere hardworking knowledgeable types in the IFS / MEA mid east desk, any name comes to mind??

[ramana]

India should think of an uber envoy to ME to whom all the others report. Right now Jt Secy sitting in Delhi is out of touch.

[UlanBatori]

Lots of names come to mind:
1. Ms. Arundhati Roy
2. Ms. Teesta Setalwad
3. Shri Laloo Prasad Yadav
4. Shri Shashi Tharoor
5. Dr. Romilla Thapar
6. Smt. Brinda Karat
7. The J&K leadership.
In fact send all of them. PERMANENT EXTERNAL Representatives to the WEST(asia) and Middle East.

[Singha]

Syed akbaruddin? Or is he slated for London or other big posting?

[Singha]

https://www.rt.com/news/318324-putin-saudi-goals-syria/

Saudis go to meet Putin in moscow. agree on 'common goals'
my tea leaves say ISIS has outlived its utility for KSA, having gone feral and threatened to raze makkah to the ground...and preparations are on to sell them down the river in favour of the more 'moderate' rebels finding a place in the negotiation table for the fate of Syria.


if the saudis are on this track, indicates Massa is also on it, with winding down support for the training camps. it will be a slow process as a 180' turn is too embarassing...trial balloons have already been floated through EU saying Assad is ok for 'upto a few yrs until true democracy is parachuted in' and not 'assad need to go today'

the targeted strike on Baghdadi cannot be a creation of the iraqi air force alone....they have no ISR / ELINT assets....could be either the americans or saudis using their moles in ISIS or comms intercepts.

so as in all revolutions, the extreme fringe will be deleted from the eventual settlement as too outlier.

Mikhail Bakunin

[chetak]

Syed akbaruddin? Or is he slated for London or other big posting?

this gent was offered a high profile posting in the PMO as Modi wanted him. Per his own request, as he had not done a good or weighty post, he was/is being sent to the UN, IIRC

from firstpost http://www.firstpost.com/india/an-era-e ... 02282.html

The magic of Akbaruddin is that he was appointed by the previous UPA government, a known anathema to Modi and his BJP, and yet he not only continued for almost eleven months in the new dispensation but also became a favourite of PM Modi. In fact, Modi wanted him to become the PMO’s spokesperson as he does not have a media advisor.
Despite the fact that the position offered to Akbaruddin was something that any bureaucrat (or diplomat) would die for he politely declined the offer. The reason: he has just about six years left for his retirement and till date he has not had a single ambassadorial stint, something that every diplomat aspires to.
Moreover, the post of MEA spokesperson is a joint secretary-level post and Akbaruddin is due to become an additional secretary very soon.
The post of JS (XP) and MEA spokesperson has incrementally gained stature and importance within the Government of India set up since the Kargil War of 1999. This post has been the Indian government’s show window to the world.
At a time when international diplomacy has steadily gained traction across the world, and India has been no exception, Akbaruddin brought a whiff of fresh air when the MEA’s XP Division was just losing momentum and sheen.
Akbaruddin took his job far more seriously than his predecessors. There used to be a time when the MEA would hold daily briefings. With the advent of Internet, Email and mobile phone SMSes, the concept of holding daily briefings became outdated and briefings became fewer.
Akbaruddin not only saw to it that MEA briefings become a regular feature but also made it a point to impart value addition by organizing background briefings on burning topics regularly for the news-hungry media.

However, one questionable practice started by Akbaruddin was to set a cap of one question for every journalist. Many MEA beat old hounds, like this writer, detested this cap of one question per journalist as it robbed the journalists of their art of deriving questions from the answers.
From Akbaruddin’s point of view, not an invalid one, he introduced this new ground rule for his briefings as he wanted to give a chance to all journalists to put whatever question he or she wanted, irrespective of his seniority or lack of it and allowing a level-playing field for all.
Akbaruddin invariably followed a 7am to 11 pm work schedule every day throughout his tenure and made himself available to journalists to respond to whatever queries they may have, as discussed by this writer here.

[chanakyaa]

CBS News (60 minutes) - Steve Kroft questions President Obama on topics including Russia's incursion in Syria, ISIS and the 2016 presidential race

BO back peddling on 60-minutes

[UlanBatori]

Saudis go to meet Putin in moscow. agree on 'common goals'
my tea leaves say ISIS has outlived its utility for KSA, having gone feral and threatened to raze makkah to the ground...and preparations are on to sell them down the river in favour of the more 'moderate' rebels finding a place in the negotiation table for the fate of Syria.

Singhaji: Perhaps one should correlate this event with what happened 2 days ago: Palace coup in Riyadh. Bear's direct entry into the conflict changed everything. Bright ideas like 500-TOW shipment would come across indeed as "King trying to hurt himself" because Comrade Vlad's Ambassador may have passed along a note asking how Moscow should respond to a request from the Houthis for 2000 anti-tank and SAM systems, and whether it would be OK to bring these in using a Chinese cargo vessel escorted by warships. Maybe a solicitous inquiry into the health of the Royal family in view of all the terrorist threats. Including the one about a tactical nuke being missing and perhaps being lost in the maze of the Ras Al Tanura refinery.

The Bear does have a certain reputation, including recent events in Ukraine and b4 that in Georgia. I don't think His New Majesty would wish that to befall Riyadh or Mecca, so the message may have gone out seeking a new 'understanding'. No wonder gas prices are rising.

That would explain the direct visit by the Comrade Himself - protect Saudi face while delivering the solid kick in the musharraf in person.

[UlanBatori]

BO back peddling on 60-minutes

And that is the other piece falling into place: KSA-USA alliance against Assad headed for temporary dissolution. Training programs stopped. Trainers (surviving ones) pulled out.

[Singha]

the tiles have shifted more in 3 weeks than in the last 3 years.

[Singha]

CNN
donald trump:

Otherwise, he said of Putin, "I think we are very different" -- even though they'd get along.

"I think that I would at the same time get along very well with him. He does not like Obama at all. He doesn't respect Obama at all. And I'm sure that Obama doesn't like him very much," Trump said. "But I think that I would probably get along with him very well. And I don't think you'd be having the kind of problems that you're having right now."

He told host John Dickerson of Russia's recent air assaults in Syria: "And as far as him attacking ISIS, I'm all for it. If he wants to be bombing the hell out of ISIS, which he's starting to do, if he wants to be bombing ISIS, let him bomb them, John. Let him bomb them. I think we probably work together much more so than right now."

[ramana]

KSA probably handed Putin ISIS details as peace offering.

[Santosh]

^ and US got to it before Russia to avoid embarrassment? So Russia and US get to hunt down ISIS. Russia gets to keep Assad in power. US gets to keep moderate piss loving FSA - just like the good Taliban made piss with Karzai government. Basically the can is kicked further down the road and becomes someone else's problem. What does Saudi get in return? No pipeline for them obviously.

[Singha]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-34502545

Russia summoned Britain's defence attache in Moscow to explain reports that RAF pilots had been authorised to shoot down Russian aircraft in the Middle East, the Foreign Office says.

Newspapers said RAF Tornados in Iraq had been fitted with heat-seeking missiles designed for aerial combat.

The Foreign Office said the reports, over the weekend, had been inaccurate.

[Singha]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/10/12 ... y-probing/

U.S. military officials believe that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group (ISIS), is still alive, despite claims by the Iraqi military Sunday that its air force struck a convoy carrying the terror leader.
....

A U.S. military source told Fox News that al-Baghdadi did not appear to have been hit in the airstrike. Another U.S. official told Fox News that Iraqi officials were collecting DNA from the scene of the strikes.

The official added that the convoy targeted by the Iraqis resembled those in which al-Baghdadi moved around and operated.

Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool told the Associated Press the military is still investigating whether al-Baghdadi was in the convoy that was struck.

[Satya_anveshi]

So Russia and US get to hunt down ISIS.

There are second thoughts on this it appears.
Question on ISIS from CBS 60 Mins interview with BO:

Steve Kroft: I mean, they have to be-- somebody has to take them on. I mean, what's going on right now is not working. I mean, they are still occupying big chunks of Iraq. They're still occupying a good chunk of Syria. Who's going to get rid of them?

President Barack Obama: Over time, the community of nations will all get rid of them, and we will be leading getting rid of them. But we are not going to be able to get rid of them unless there is an environment inside of Syria and in portions of Iraq in which local populations, local Sunni populations, are working in a concerted way with us to get rid of them.

This is almost like Pakistani speak of supporting terrorism. Basically, he is saying they will be protecting ISIS and make this a long drawn game. Already there are reports that ISIS base is shifting from Mosul, which is to north of Iraq to Ramadi in central Iraq.

[Singha]

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/10 ... i-Fallujah

china has supplied predator size armed combat drones to iraq and is for time being flying them also.

[Austin]

Watching Fareed Zakaria GPS yesterday , Panelist are warning rise of Extremism and Terrorism Attack in Russia.

Reason ISIL is Sunni and Chechnian people are Sunni too and Russia is supporting Shia Iran , Iraq and Syria , they are as if condoning the strike and want it to happen.

Strange logic because over past decade US has bombed both Sunni and Shia terrorist and US too has significant muslim population

[Austin]

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/10 ... i-Fallujah

china has supplied predator size armed combat drones to iraq and is for time being flying them also.

Saw the video yesterday , Looks good tool for Syrian Operation without risking manned aircraft. May be the Chinese could sell this to the Russians in Dozens or just gift it to assad

[Singha]

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-t ... is-n439746

Iraqi security forces have launched a operation to retake the city of Ramadi from ISIS militants and for the first time in months have taken control of part of the city, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.

A senior Iraqi security official told NBC News that Iraqi forces began advancing toward the city — a key battleground in Anbar province in the western part of the country — about midnight Tuesday to take advantage of an impending sandstorm.

A U.S. defense official agreed that the Iraqi forces had made some rare gains, telling NBC News Wednesday that they had retaken several kilometers of Ramadi, including the University of Anbar, a frequent and bloody battleground.

The fall of Ramadi in May was considered a humiliating loss for the Iraqi military, prompting U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to accuse the Iraqis of lacking the will to fight.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said immediately after ISIS took Ramadi in May that it would be only a matter of days before the city was liberated. But criticism grew as the battle dragged on for months.

Image: Ramadi
Iraqi forces patrol as U.S. aircraft attack ISIS positions in eastern Ramadi in May. Uncredited / AP
"Ramadi has been a difficult fight," acknowledged Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman in Baghdad, describing what he called an "operational pause" forced by extreme weather, the arrival of Muslim holidays and ISIS' unorthodox tactics.

The United States and its allies trained Iraqi forces to fight a counterinsurgency, Warren said, but ISIS has "defended Ramadi almost in an early 20th-century style, with belts of defenses," a more conventional tactic than Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition had anticipated.

That meant preparations stalled while the coalition retooled how it trained Iraqi forces, he said.

With the summer and the holiday season ending, "we believe that this will all come together, and hopefully we'll see the Iraqis move forward," Warren said last week.

[habal]

O’Bomber’s air aces fly bravely into in action!
taking forward the good work in Kunduz ..

Two F16 aircrafts belonging to the so-called US-led coalition violated the Syrian airspace on Saturday, targeting the infrastructure and destroying two power plants in al-Rudwaniya area to the east of Aleppo city, a military source said. According to the source, the two aircrafts violated the Syrian airspace at 10:00 AM Saturday morning.

The coalition, instead of bombing Daesh’s positions, strikes with air raids at Syrian infrastructure in residential areas: two power plants destroyed. Unknown for now the number of possible victims. Al-Rudwaniya area is located some 50 kilometres from Syria’s border with Turkey.

Take that, ISIS! (LOL)

[Singha]

if we consider this map of ISIS controlled area as roughly the ground situation you can see why Raqqa or any other place in north syria is favourable to setting up GHQ in Mosul. reason is Mosul is kurdish heartland city and they want it real bad, they will keep fighting to get it and wont go away though ISIS holds it firmly for now. to the east are iranians and to the south the Shias . there is no direct access to jordan, saudi or turkey border from Mosul unlike holding on to eastern syria which permits all the three. if ISIS is forced into a pocket around Mosul they will die there...beaten from all sides.